Powell close to full fitness

Rovman Powell (right) in action for the Jamaica Tallawahs against the
St Lucia Zouks during their Caribbean Premier League game at Sabina Park on Thursday, September 12.

Jamaican all-rounder Rovman Powell says that he is close to returning to full fitness from an abdominal strain and that he is hoping to be selected for the Windies squad for their upcoming tour of India, where they will meet that host nation and Afghanistan.

The Windies are scheduled to play three Twenty20 (T20) matches, three One-Day Internationals (ODI), and a one-off Test on the tour between November 5 and 27. The regional side will then engage India in three T20 matches and three ODIs.

The 26-year-old Powell suffered the injury in the ninth over of the Jamaica Tallawahs’ innings against the Trinbago Knight Riders in the Caribbean Premier League match at Sabina Park on Friday, September 13.

The injury forced the right-handed batsman to miss the remainder of the competition.

RECOVERY PROCESS

Powell told The Gleaner that his recovery has been excellent and that he is now back in training.

“To be honest, it has come along very well,” Powell said. “I am very close to being fully fit because every day of the week, I am getting treatment, so in another week, I will be good.

“It was a very painful injury, but the pain and everything have gone now [that] I have started to train.”

Powell has scored 670 runs from 34 ODIs at an average of 23.92. In 23 T20 matches, the former University of the West Indies player has scored 311 runs at an average of 20.73.

Powell, who last represented the Windies against India in August, says that he is hoping to be selected for both tours.

“I am basically fit now, and those tours are at the ending of the month, so I still have some time to do some work, which I have already started doing,” he said.

“I did well against India recently, so I am looking forward to go down in India and doing well also because the [T20] World Cup is coming up, and everybody is eyeing that also.”